This is a living document. It has been updated many times and will continually keep being updated. I made it to work in conjunction with the folks over at /r/flexibility since they are down to do this with me. I urge you to use this and any other splits routine such as this or this. I have a love for yoga, gymnastics and bodyweight training. For that reason, you’ll see this Splits Routine is a hodge-podge of stretches compiled from all those influences. Comfortable with Facebook? Join our facebook support group!

Updated 11/15/2014: I removed the convoluted example schedule (“Monday light contractions, Tuesday heavy”) in the section below the ProTip about how to contract/relax. Instead, I changed the heading to “Vary the intensity throughout the week” and wrote this:

It is a good habit to stretch everyday but, just like any other training (like strength training), it is totally possible to go overboard. Instead of pushing yourself very hard each day, think of light days and rest days. Kit Laughlin suggests that you save the really intense Contract / Relax sessions to just a couple days a week. If you want militaristic-like structure, Tim Hall shared his routine on how he varies the contractions, but honestly, listening to your body is the best way to go here.

Updated 11/14/2014: I keep updating this page every couple weeks with some refinements, so I thought it would be nice to have an update log like I do with my other pages, so frequent visitors can see what’s changed easily as well.

Okay, so here goes. This update is all about the middle splits. For getting the middle splits, frog pose is great because it takes pressure off your knees. So here are some videos that are magnificent and you could follow along:

These have been added to the Splits stretching section for the middle splits.

Previous changes not logged: Instead of stretching 4-7 days a week, instead, I changed the suggestion to stretch everyday until you need a rest day. This adds to the consistency and some people can stretch 2 days in a row and feel they need a break (beginners) while others can stretch 5 days in a row before needing a break.

Will you be able to hit the splits in 90 days? I don’t know. Every body is different. Only one way to find out, right?

The key to your success is consistency!

Stretch every single day. Dedicate as much time as you can.

Take a rest day or two when you need it.

If you’re not familiar with a stretch, follow the linked videos. After a week you’ll have memorized it and fly through the routine.

Don’t have much time? Okay, then do as much as you can. Even 30 seconds of each stretch is better than nothing.

How badly do you want it? WHY do you want the splits? Your reason must be good enough to motivate you! (I want it because it with the added flexibility, fun moves such as the flying pigeon and the press to handstand will become more easily attainable.)

This is not a competition. You’re doing this for yourself, not for anybody else. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that things happen on their own time. Nature has its own plans for when you are able to do certain things. You can’t force yourself to get there ahead of schedule, unless you want to hurt yourself and that’s the last thing we want. Pay special respect to your body. If you need a rest day or two, take it! But don’t slack off (remind yourself why you’re doing this!). The 90-day “challenge” is for motivating each other more than anything else! Anything that helps get your butt off the seat will help, and I hope this it it.

Safety First! PAIN? PANICKING? HYPERVENTILATING?

If you are in pain, panicking, or cannot breath properly, YOU ARE TOO DEEP, raise yourself back up a little!

If you feel you need a day off cause you’re feeling sore, or that your connective tissue needs to recover, then take a day off!

Now.. onto the Splits Routine!

1. Warm Up (5-10 minutes)

To save time, you could do this routine right after your workout cause then you’ll be warm and ready to go. But if you’re not warmed up, then go for a quick jog around the block or jump rope or anything that’ll help you get warm or hot because it helps a lot to be warm (close your windows and let it sizzle a little).

Personally, so far I like following this sun salutations video cause it warms up many of the same things we need to stretch for the splits. It won’t be long before you memorize this sequence anyway.

2. Leg Swings (<4 minutes)

Every swing should be in control. Keep the back straight and the standing leg firm. Increase the swing as you open up more.

Hold Pancake Split for 2 minutes (Put your hand under the butt cheeks and pull it back so you sit on your seat bones and can pour forward from the hips with a flat back. If the hips stay tucked under, you don’t get as good of a stretch Also, Someone can pull you forward with a flat back or you could tug on a strap/rope in front of you.)

If you don’t have blocks, use chairs by your sides or just be creative with what you got! But if you want to buy a pair of yoga blocks, they’re just like, less than 10 bucks for the comfy foam ones. If you’re very inflexible, then chairs will probably be even more appropriate than blocks until it’s not.

5. Advanced

The goal is to be able to be UPRIGHT so that your body can gain the strength to handle your entire bodyweight. Flexibility and strength go hand in hand here to help the body have the confidence that it can handle these extreme ranges. If you could balance yourself with your hands UP and your back upright in the front/middle splits, and you feel it’s not going anywhere anymore, then you could try holding a light weight in your hands to help drive you down. You should also try this skandasana flow for a few minutes to open up your everything even more.

GOOD JOB! YOU’RE DONE FOR TODAY!

ProTip: Contract & relax instead of passively staying in the stretch

Switch between contracting and relaxing to make the best use of your time. This is known as PNF.

When you feel the contract-relax isn’t helping you go deeper, just hold it for 30-60sec to go deeper.

So when you’re in the middle splits, flex your butt cheeks together for 5 seconds and then relax.

When you’re in the front splits, flex the quads of your front leg for 5 seconds and the glutes of the back leg and then relax.

However, on some days, you will be too tired to do anything, so passively just remain in it.

Vary the intensity throughout the week

It is a good habit to stretch everyday but, just like any other training (like strength training), it is totally possible to go overboard. Instead of pushing yourself very hard each day, think of light days and rest days. Kit Laughlin suggests that you save the really intense Contract / Relax sessions to just a couple days a week. If you want militaristic-like structure, Tim Hall shared his routine on how he varies the contractions, but honestly, listening to your body is the best way to go here.

For the front and middle splits, try not to lean forward and put your arms and body on the ground.

You need to be able to build strength in that position so stay upright! If you cannot do as wide of a split with your upper body upright, then narrow your stance and/or use a chair in front of you to help you balance. You need to be able to hold yourself in that position and build strength there before going deeper. When you lean forward, you’ll eventually hit a road block because there’s not enough pressure (bodyweight) pressing you down and you’re going to have to be a little more upright and if the strength isn’t there, it’s going to be really tough!

Printer Friendly version of this splits protocol so you could just have it with you

More… supplemental info (and my own progress pics)

Loaded Progressive Stretching

When you’ve become very comfortable with your entire bodyweight pressing you down, hold a weight in your hands to help drive you deeper into the stretch and do the 5sec contract/relax. This is what Ido Portal’s Loaded Progressive Stretching is basically.

Developing the STRENGTH necessary to get out of the splits

We want to maintain integrity in the joint. The following is a great exercise for your adductors (inner thigh muscles) that can be used in conjunction for your splits. The more power your adductors have, the more they will actually be able to relax.

Wear socks OR get two little towels OR some newspaper to stand on.

Go on slippery surface like wood or tile.

Spread your legs apart.

Bring your feet together with straight legs until you are standing normally.

Repeat.

In the first week start with your legs just 2 feet apart… It’s possible you won’t have power to do the exercise in a ROM greater than that. Increase the split/straddle distance as the weeks go on and you build strength.

Updated: Cossack squats (you don’t need a barbell for this) will help strengthen your inner thighs and open up the groin, too. Horse stance is also pretty hard. Put a stick on your thighs and stay low enough so the stick won’t roll down. I also recommend pistol squats because it emphasizes strength (in the quads and hammies), flexibility (in the ankles and hips) and balance… all things that will only help your splits.

Why do we need to build adductor strength?

If we strive to passively attain the splits while neglecting to add strength and control in that range of motion, then we lose integrity in the joint and set ourselves up for injury. This is one of the reasons why people who are hyper-mobile can injure themselves more readily than tight people. If you just work on flexibility and stretching the connective tissue (ligaments/tendons) without strengthening, then the joint loses integrity and can easily go to that end range of motion and not have the power or ability to contract and protect itself.

So, just because someone has the flexibility to do the splits, doesn’t mean they can pull themselves out of the splits. To do that you need to be training the adductor (inner thigh) muscles so that you could have POWER in that full range of motion.

For inspiration, here is Cai Young (cued to start at 4:00 automatically) demonstrating bringing the legs together FROM THE SPLITS! He has power in his entire range of motion. This is what we mean by active flexibility.

Are you close to the full splits? Warm up and simply follow this 13 minute video

Optional but highly recommended: Foam roll all the things

front thigh

lateral thigh

inner thigh

glutes

calves

upper back

Not familiar with foam rolling? Watch my video here:

Not sure which one to buy?This one is my favorite one because I feel it’s the most effective all around.

Antranik’s Current Flexibility?

Sooo.. go ahead.. take photos of your middle, pancake and left/right front splits. Also, a photo of your seated pike stretch for good measure. (You know, the one where you’re sitting with your legs straight and together and trying to touch your toes? Yea that one.)

Thank you for putting up this challenge.
I have access to a gym and I think I can use a machine to strengthen my adductors while pursuing the splits. Is it a good idea?
Keep up the good work.

http://www.antranik.org/ Antranik

Anything to help strengthen your adductors will help make it more comfortable to be in those split position.

Pain Spelunker

Kelly is hilarious. DON’T GO IN THE PAIN CAVE!

Timo

Hey Antranik! You have build an amazing site of resources here that really got me interested trying the splits challenge, so thank you. I have no doubt this will help me in capoeira training.

Wanted to ask a couple of questions. Because its good to warm up before the splits routine and it’s good to build strength in the abductor muscles, would it be a good idea to warm up doing some of the abductor exercises or would you build up the strength at a different time? You also suggest in the “My Personal Results from the 90-days Splits Challenge” to wear two layers in order to retain more heat and help relax. I was wondering if helps to keep a layer or two on your upper body as well?

Thanks once again
– Timo

http://www.antranik.org/ Antranik

Hi Timo, you could warm them up with exercises, but I really rather enjoy a more thorough dynamic thing like bicycling or jogging or jumping jacks or jump rope or something like that. However, any warm up is better than no warm up. I never tried that concept for upper body but I’m sure it could help. When we do yoga, we do it with the studios doors/windows closed during class to help retain heat and increase the temperature to help.

Timo

Hey! Yeah warm up isn’t really a problem. I was just wondering if the abductor strength training is something you incorporate into the stretching exercise or something you separately with some other training.

New videos every week!

For random tips/announcements… Like me!

Follow my instagram for the eye candy…

Need a personal trainer? Why not Antranik?

Subscribe and never miss awesome posts!

My favorite tools for feeling great!

Antranik says: I use this foam roller after any exercise session and it gets rid of all my knots. It’s called self-myofascial release, which is fancy for self-massage. Best product I’ve gotten for my health in forever.